Theft-signal for motor-vehicles



M. J". DOWNEY. 'THEFTSIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 24 I920.

Patented Oct. 4-, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET Elmuz/wtoz M. J. DOWTJEY.

THEFT SIGNAL FGR MQYOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24,1920.

Patented Oct. 4,. 1921 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z- a are i 13 s ll XVIILLARD J. DUWNEY, 0F CHICAGG, ILLINQIS THEFT-SIGNAL FUR IVIOTOR-VEHICLES.

To' all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I. MILLARD J. Downer, citizen of the United States. residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Theft-Signals for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following isa specification. I

This invention relates to an improved theft signal for automobilesand has as one of its principal objects to provide a device of this character whereby the owner of an automobile may, upon leaving his machine. indicate that he, the owner, is away from the machine, so that the machine cannot then be operated without the display of the signal indicating theunauthorized use of the machine.

The invention has as afurther object to provide a signal which may be locked in position displaying a signal sign indicating that the owner is out of his machine so that a person attempting to steal the machine cannot operate the signal to obscure said sign.

And. the invention has as a still further object to provide a signal which will be simple in its construction and which may be employed in connectionwith substantially any conventional design of motor vehicle.

Other and incidental'objects will appear hereinafter;

In the drawings: v

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a conventional motor vehicle equipped with my improved signal.

Fig. 2 is .a front elevation showing the device detached,

F ig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken medially through the device. and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken at substantially right angles to Fig. 3.

In order that the construction. mounting and operation of my improved signal may be accurately understood, I have, in the drawings. shown the device in connection with a motor vehicle 10 of conventional design. As

particularly shown in Fig. 1, the device is mounted on one side wall of the vehicle body immediately in the rear of the engine hood of the vehicle and is preferably mounted at the right hand side of the vehicle so as to be disposed next to a street curb when the vehicle is standing. In carrying the invention into effect, I employ a drum or signal body 11 which is formed with an annular rim l2 Specification of Letters Patent.

.1920. Serial No.

Patented oer. a, 1921.

having a flange 13 extending therefrom, this flange seating against the outer face of the sidewall of the vehicle body. Closing the signal body at ,its rear side is a plate 14 seating against the inner face of the side wall entially reduced annular rim 15 extending snugly through a suitable opening in said wall. Formed on the rim 15 at diametric points are flanges 16 which are engaged through suitable slots in the flange 13 of the signal body and are bent over to lie against the latter flange for thus securely connecting of the vehicle body and having a circumferthe closure plate with the signal body aswell as firmly securing the device upon the -'ve-- hicle. Preferably one of the flanges. 16, when so bent over, 18 stenciled or otherwise provided upon its outer face with the name of the make of the vehicle upon which the as will be perceived. the device cannot be removed without molesting these iianges so that the possibility of wrongful displacement of the signal will be reduced'to a minimum.

The outer end of the signal body is laid oif in oppositely disposed segments 17 which are blank and are painted or otherwise coated to conform to the color of the vehicle upon which the device is used. Lying at right angles to the segments 17 are segments 18 preferably painted red and bearing the signal sign Owner out, these words being composed of stenciled letters or letters otherwise formed and the word Owner being 100 1 upon the upper'segment while the word Out is upon the lower segment. Fitting the signal body is a shutter having oppositelv disposed segmental openings therethrough defining intermediate segments 19 105 connected by a rim 20 freely surrounding the signal body. The shutter is, like the segments 1? of the signal body, also preferably painted or otherwise coated to conform to the color of the vehicle body and rotat- 11a 40 sign.

ably supporting said shutteris a hollow trunnion Zl journaled through the signal body. Fixed to the inner end of said trunnion is a permutation lock of approved de- 5 sign. Thus, the lock will turn with the shutter and 'as particularly shown in Fig. 3, the lock is provided with a bolt23 which, when the shutter is turned to position obscuring the signal sign. is engageable through a plate 2i suitably secured to the inner side ofthe signal body. Extending into the lock through the trunnion 21 is a squared hollow shaft '25 for actuating the lock bolt and formed on the shaft at its forward end is a cylindrical trunnion 26 atthe base of which is a collar 27. Fitting the shaft beneath this collar -is a perforated disk 28 rotatable for turning the shaft and overlying the peripheral margin ofsaid disk is a retaining ring 29 fixed toasupporting plate 30 which is screwed. or otherwise secured to the shutter. Fitted upon the trunnion 26 is a knob 31 p'rmided with a dial 32 and engaged through the shaft 25 and threaded into said knob is a cap screw 33 connecting the knob withthe shaft. Carried by the knob within the dial 232 is a disk 34 and projecting from this disk is a pin 35 'engagedjn one of the openings of the disk 28. Thus, when the knob is rotated, the

shaft 25 will be rotated for operating the mechanism of the lock and retracting the bolt 23. .Ypon the retraction of this bolt the shutter will be freed for turning movement by the knob.

As will now be readily appreciated in view ofthe preceding description, as long as the owner is in the vehicle. the shutter of the device may bG-tHI'IIQd to obscure the signal However, on leaving the vehicle, the owner will then rotate the shutter until the segments 19.thereof aredisposed over the segments 17 of the signal body when the lock 22 will be so disposed that the bolt 23 thereof may be engaged with the plate 2st.

Consequently, by then properly turning the knob 31, the shutter may be locked in position exposing said signal. As will thus be readily perceived, anyone then attempting tosteal the vehicle cannot avoid display of the signal .Qwner out. Detection of a thief will thus be rendered readily possible.

Having thus described the inventiomwhat is claimed as new is: k

1. A device of the character described including a signal body provided with a signal sign, a shutter fitting overthe signal body and rotatable thereon, a lock housed within the-signal body and operable for locking the shutter in position exposing said sign, and

.a plate closingthe signal body.

2. A device of the character described including a signal body havin a rim provided with a flange, a shutter fitting over the signal body and having a rim confronting the rim of the body. the signal body being provided with a signal sign, means for locking the shutter in position exposing said sign, and a plate having a rim provided with flanges engaged through said first mentioned flange for connecting the plate with the signal body.

3. The combination with a'inotor vehicle, of a signal projecting through a wall of the vehicle body, the signal having a warning legend visible at the exterior of said wall,

from the inner side thereof and engaged with the signal body for securingthe signal in position.

5. In a theft signal for motor vehicles, the combination of a signal body provided with a signal sign, ashutter rotatable upon the body for obscuring or exposing said sign, and locking means carried by the body for securing the shutter in position exposing the sign.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

MILLARD J. Downer. [n.sl

and means normally obscuring said legend 

